Ascardia

((3))The Journey Ahead

Onyx woke to maids bustling about. This was the norm, but this wasn't her home. This wasn't Finesse the Jewel of her father's kingdom, this was Carrow. The castle where Axel died. She hurried to dress, she hadn't packed any nice dresses, only her warrior garb and riding outfits. She laced her boots and pulled her cloak around her. After double checking her scabbard that held her twin blades, she checked her weapons on her belt. Her two twin daggers, and the five throwing knives. All were secure. Her claymore was strapped to her back.

She braided her hair and twisted it up into a high ponytail. She layered bright red lip stain and coal black powder to her eyes. There, now she truly looked like the Micto towe Mortus.

A knock sounded on her door and she answered it. She rolled her eyes when she saw it was Enoch.

"Niore. What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Just making sure you are ready to go. The King and Queen have provided extra provisions. My brother was spotted on the outskirts of Omarion."

"Is he still crossing the Neverending Bridge?"

"Yes, we will cross the river Goul at the southern most point of Omarion. Where it is the shallowest and calmest."

"Good, he still has to go through all of Omarion, Cantenburg, and the Dark Forest, and most of Nightingale before he reaches my home."

"Let us make haste." Onyx looked at the room once more and followed Enoch to the foyer of the castle, where Esme waited.

"Goodluck ki'kimaleta bloomay."

"Thank you for opening your home to us Queen Esme. May Gantash look over you and Plowyn* provide."

"Thank you. Take care of her Enoch."

"I will."

***

Together they rode in comfortable silence. Nyx feared he would question her about her lost love, but he never did. She wasn't sure whether to be glad, or saddened that he did not wish to know her. It was dusk, the sky once blue, was now a light shade of lavendar. A darker, more mauve shade closer to the horizon.

"We'll camp here for the night." Nox said quietly, halting his horse in the clearing they had entered. The woods adjacent to Omarion weren't as dense and populated by threats as the Dark Forest, but it still harbored danger...bandits, runaways, and Rogues, to name but a few.

"If you insist." Onyx said, instead of voicing her concern, aware that if she did, Nox would have reason to call her spoiled again. She was many things, but she wasn't spoiled, well she was, but she'd never act as if she asked for it. She loved her parents without the many gifts of jewels and expanses of flowers. If she had been poor, she still would love them all the same.

She removed Obsidian's saddle and bridle, careful of his teeth. She folded the steel stirrups beneath the heavy leather and placed it in the center of the clearing. Removing his overnight harness and reins from her saddlebag she fastened him to a low hanging branch, thick enough to stop him from dashing off should he get spooked.

She allowed herself to glance over at Nox's side of the camp to see what he was doing. To her surprise, he was shucking off his leather shirt, scars adorned his tanned flesh. Mostly his back, long ago had they faded to a pale silverish white. They looked like old whipping wounds. Her heart clenched at the sight, who would do such a thing?

"My father wasn't like yours cattra. He didn't like when I spoke back, he didn't like when I spoke at all."

Nox hadn't even turned around when he spoke. She hadn't even voiced her curiosity. Had she?